Choosing the place where you work out

Convenience is probably the most important consideration for most of us. But, specialized interests may justify a few extra miles of driving.

Highly motivated people do not need a club membership to workout. They can do it on their own, buying equipment for use in the basement or simply logging in miles of running around the block. Or they can do a daily swim across the lake if a good sized one is not too far from their house.

But most of us, even the highly motivated need to have a place where we can do our daily routines. What then makes one place better than another?

Before answering, it needs to be said that there are always individual more specialized preferences. Some of us want to emulate people like Arnold Schwarzenegger and therefore want to be around body builders. Possibly we are even contest material, requiring very heavy weights. Therefore we may only be happy with places like Gold's. They have a lot of squat racks, bench press apparatus and olympic plates to satisfy the most tonnage motivated athlete.

But the majority of us are more rounded in our approach to fitness. We need cardio equipment, some machines to insure balanced lifting and possibly a juice machine or two for post workout recovery. The bulk of today's fitness enthusiasts are like that.

Also in this category are those who enjoy pilates, yoga or possibly power walking. Tracks and mats are needed for these activities, but the standard club generally provides them. Too, they have trainers who are proficient in their use, so you need not feel if that you are own your own if you are a beginner.

The larger chains are like this. Some that come to mind are Bally's, Anytime Fitness and Lifetime Fitness. They all do a good job of accommodating the busy professional who needs access to equipment whenever it can be fit into a busy schedule.

Generally, in today's America there is about one for every 15 miles. That suggests a travel time of under a half hour, which is essential in a busy lifestyle. Regular time needs to be devoted to working out. This is less likely to happen if one has to spend more time driving than actually doing his or her workout.

Thus the first two things to consider when choosing a club are these : 1.) what types of working out do they encourage; and 2.)How far away is it? Both of these considerations are essential if one is serious about staying at routine for the long haul.

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